News

Raiders Add Seven to Coaching Staff

The Oakland Raiders have added seven coaches to the 2012 coaching staff, including three assistants who were with the Silver and Black last season.

The Oakland Raiders have added seven coaches to the 2012 coaching staff, including three assistants who were with the Silver and Black last season.

Kelly Skipper returns for his sixth season with the Raiders and his fourth as running backs coach, while Frank Pollack joins the Silver and Black as offensive line coach. Steve Wisniewski will serve as assistant offensive line coach after spending last season in the same capacity, while Al Miller joins the staff as strength and conditioning coach and will be assisted by John Grieco. Defensive quality control coach Eric Sanders returns to the Raiders for his third season, while former Raiders fullback Justin Griffith assumes offensive quality control duties.

Skipper, who tutored tight ends for the Raiders for two years before taking over running back duties in 2009, oversaw a unit that ranked seventh in the NFL in rushing last season with an average of 131.9 yards per game. In 2010, the Silver and Black’s running game ranked second in the league in rushing (155.9 ypg.) and set a franchise record by averaging 4.9 yards per rushing attempt. The Brawley, Calif.-native joined the Raiders after coaching in numerous capacities at Washington State (2003-06), UCLA (1998-02) and his alma mater, Fresno State (1989-97).

Pollack comes to the Raiders after five years (2007-11) as the assistant offensive line coach for the Houston Texans. He helped tutor a unit that enabled the Texans to rank second in the NFL with a franchise-record 153 rushing yards per game last season. Pollack, who played nine years in the NFL with San Francisco and Denver, began his coaching career at Northern Arizona (2005-06).

Wisniewski returns for his second season on the Silver and Black’s coaching staff after helping the Raiders offensive line lead a potent rushing attack in 2011. He joined the staff after spending the 2010 season as strength and conditioning intern at Stanford. Wisniewski earned eight Pro Bowl selections and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s during his 13-year playing career with the Raiders.

A member of the USA Strength and Conditioning Hall of Fame, Miller brings two decades of NFL coaching experience to the Silver and Black, having previously coached for the Atlanta Falcons (1997-05), New York Giants (1993-96) and Denver Broncos (1985-92). Miller, who began his coaching career at Mississippi State in 1980, also served in a strength and conditioning capacity at Northwest Louisiana (1981) and under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Alabama (1982-85).

Grieco comes to the Raider staff after serving as head strength and conditioning coach at the University of Louisiana at Monroe for two years. While at ULM, Grieco was named the top strength and conditioning coach in the nation by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society. Previously, Grieco oversaw the strength and conditioning efforts for 17 varsity programs at UNLV for four years.

Sanders returns for his third season with the Raiders and first as defensive quality control coach. A native of San Francisco, Sanders was an offensive assistant on the Raiders coaching staff for two years (2010-11).

Griffith, who played in 96 career games over eight pro seasons, begins his first season on an NFL coaching staff. Griffith played two years for the Raiders (2007-08), playing in 23 games with 14 starts.